The song echoes the theme of David Bowie's 1969 song "Space Oddity" (both recordings were produced by Gus Dudgeon), but, according to an account in Elizabeth Rosenthal's book, "His Song: The Musical Journey of Elton John," the song might never have been conceived had it not been for Taupin's sighting of either a shooting star or distant airplane. The account goes on to relate that the notion of astronauts no longer being perceived as heroes, but in fact as an "everyday occupation" led him to the song's opening lines, "She packed my bags last night, pre-flight. Zero hour: 9 a.m. And I'm gonna be high as a kite by then."
"Rocket Man" was ranked #242 in the 2004 List of Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.
Rocket Man
Elton John Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Zero hour, nine AM
And I'm gonna be high as a kite by then
I miss the earth so much, I miss my wife
It's lonely out in space
On such a timeless flight
'Til touch down brings me round again to find
I'm not the man they think I am at home
Oh no no no, I'm a rocket man
Rocket man burning out his fuse up here alone
And I think it's gonna be a long, long time
'Til touch down brings me round again to find
I'm not the man they think I am at home
Oh no no no, I'm a rocket man
Rocket man burning out his fuse up here alone
Mars ain't the kind of place to raise your kids
In fact it's cold as hell
And there's no one there to raise them if you did
And all this science I don't understand
It's just my job five days a week
A rocket man, a rocket man
And I think it's gonna be a long, long time
'Til touch down brings me round again to find
I'm not the man they think I am at home
Oh no no no, I'm a rocket man
Rocket man burning out his fuse up here alone
And I think it's gonna be a long, long time
'Til touch down brings me round again to find
I'm not the man they think I am at home
Oh no no no, I'm a rocket man
Rocket man burning out his fuse up here alone
And I think it's gonna be a long, long time
And I think it's gonna be a long, long time
And I think it's gonna be a long, long time
And I think it's gonna be a long, long time
And I think it's gonna be a long, long time
And I think it's gonna be a long, long time
And I think it's gonna be a long, long time
And I think it's gonna be a long, long time
Elton John's "Rocket Man" is a song about the isolation and loneliness of an astronaut who is on a long space journey away from his family and friends. The first verse sets the scene, with the astronaut's wife packing his bags for a pre-dawn takeoff. He knows that he's going to be high as a kite from the thrill of the launch, but he also misses his home planet and his wife. In the chorus, he reflects on how long it will be until he gets back to Earth and wonders about the person he is, realizing he's not the same man as he is at home. The astronaut knows that his job is to fly through space and explore new worlds, but he also notes the isolation that comes with that task, pondering the difficulties of raising children on other planets, where no one can raise them if he or she needs to.
The song conveys the sense of loneliness and otherworldliness that comes with space exploration, as well as the cost that it can take on an astronaut's personal life. The chorus repeats, emphasizing that the astronaut is a "rocket man" and that his job is to fly through space alone. The song's theme is not only about the loneliness of space exploration, but also about the line that people often have to walk between their professional and personal lives. Elton John tells this story through the beautiful instrumentation of the song, with a soft piano riff that is complemented by the steady rhythm of drums and the occasional flourish of horns.
Line by Line Meaning
She packed my bags last night pre-flight
My spouse had prepared my things the night before my spaceflight
Zero hour, nine AM
My mission begins at precisely nine o'clock in the morning
And I'm gonna be high as a kite by then
I will be under the influence of drugs by then
I miss the earth so much, I miss my wife
I feel deeply homesick and lonely, missing my planet and my partner
It's lonely out in space
The vast void of space is a desolate and isolating place
On such a timeless flight
The eternity of interstellar travel makes it feel like an eternal journey
And I think it's gonna be a long, long time
I have a premonition that this spaceflight will last an extended period of time
'Til touch down brings me round again to find
Only upon returning safely to Earth will I be grounded again
I'm not the man they think I am at home
The person I am as an astronaut is not who I am perceived to be in my personal life
Oh no no no, I'm a rocket man
I am a spaceman whose entire existence revolves around rockets and space travel
Rocket man burning out his fuse up here alone
The many challenges of spaceflight are slowly wearing down my strength and mental state
Mars ain't the kind of place to raise your kids
Mars is not a suitable environment to raise and nurture children
In fact it's cold as hell
In reality, the Martian environment is consistently freezing
And there's no one there to raise them if you did
Even if children were raised on Mars, there would be no society or structure to support them
And all this science I don't understand
As an astronaut, I encounter complex scientific principles which I do not fully comprehend
It's just my job five days a week
My work as an astronaut is just like any other job, only requiring me to work for five days in a week
A rocket man, a rocket man
I am one of many who share this profession and lifestyle
And I think it's gonna be a long, long time
My time in space will last a considerable length, creating a sense of unendingness
And I think it's gonna be a long, long time
The expansiveness and duration of space travel loom large in my mind
And I think it's gonna be a long, long time
The magnitude of this journey extends far beyond my current understanding
And I think it's gonna be a long, long time
The teeming unknowns of space and the vast distance still to be covered leave me feeling anxious
And I think it's gonna be a long, long time
The remoteness of space travel will keep me away from the life that is familiar to me for an extended period
And I think it's gonna be a long, long time
I am uncertain of just how long this journey will last, creating a sense of existential dread
And I think it's gonna be a long, long time
The scale of this journey is incomprehensible to me, and I can scarcely believe what I have gotten myself into
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Elton John, Bernie Taupin
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@craighombre4048
Lyrics:
She packed my bags last night pre-flight
Zero hour nine AM
And I'm gonna be high as a kite by then
I miss the earth so much I miss my wife
It's lonely out in space
On such a timeless flight
And I think it's gonna be a long long time
'Till touch down brings me round again to find
I'm not the man they think I am at home
Oh no no no I'm a rocket man
Rocket man burning out his fuse up here alone
And I think it's gonna be a long long time
'Till touch down brings me round again to find
I'm not the man they think I am at home
Oh no no no I'm a rocket man
Rocket man burning out his fuse up here alone
Mars ain't the kind of place to raise your kids
In fact it's cold as hell
And there's no one there to raise them if you did
And all this science I don't understand
It's just my job five days a week
A rocket man, a rocket man
And I think it's gonna be a long long time
'Till touch down brings me round again to find
I'm not the man they think I am at home
Oh no no no I'm a rocket man
Rocket man burning out his fuse up here alone
And I think it's gonna be a long long time
'Till touch down brings me round again to find
I'm not the man they think I am at home
Oh no no no I'm a rocket man
Rocket man burning out his fuse up here alone
And I think it's gonna be a long long time
And I think it's gonna be a long long time
And I think it's gonna be a long long time
And I think it's gonna be a long long time
And I think it's gonna be a long long time
And I think it's gonna be a long long time
And I think it's gonna be a long long time
And I think it's gonna be a long long time
@WhatIsTheDill
I played this song for a few friends. None of them liked it. Clearly I need new friends
@jakethesnake1312
I'll be your friend
@Trolligi
I’ll be your friend lol
@josephchetelat5772
my friends and I still play this around the campfire.
@osjorjoes
TRUE
@joeshmoe7967
VERY clearly!!
@frenzyy34
while going through radiation at the hospital for cancer treatment , they always ask what playlist i want to listen to. my go to is always either an elton john playlist or a queen playlist. but i remember on my last radiation appointment i chose elton and i was listening to this song as i finished. i had been feeling so distant because i couldn’t do much cause how sick i was, but this song brought me so much happiness. and in that moment, for some reason i knew that i’d get through it and be alright in the end. and here i am still alive to this day fighting cancer for the 7th time and i will never give up. don’t care if it takes a long long time , i’ll be okay :).
@syncopatedglory
🤗
@ashtonsides2612
Stay strong.
@ametalhead5676
baiting for likes 🗿.